


Time Travel: In Which Obito is Not Okay

by INSPIRETOWRITE



Category: Naruto
Genre: Because he thinks Obito is his student, Drabble, Emotional, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, If You Squint - Freeform, Madara is more of a jerk than usual, Madara makes him, No Romance, Not Beta Read, Obito Time Travels, Obito and Tobirama are going to bond, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Slow To Update, Therapy, Time Travel, Uchiha Obito Needs a Hug, Uchiha Obito-centric, Warring States Period (Naruto), and doesn't know how to deal with anything, because why not, could be seen as a crack fic, he might also have an crush, no ones told him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/INSPIRETOWRITE/pseuds/INSPIRETOWRITE
Summary: It was strange for someone to see through his persona so easily. He had built it so well that not even Itachi had caught on at first. Although, given the contrast between the two, he supposed it shouldn’t be all that surprising. Not with how much of a genius the Nidaime was said to be. Still, it would have been nice to not have to use it at all. At least his panic couldn’t take over just yet. Tobi didn’t panic after all.ORMadara is insane and Obito had to do something about it.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama & Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Madara & Uchiha Obito
Comments: 35
Kudos: 198





	1. Obito Decides Madara is Crazy. At Least More Than Usual

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Wrong Way to Ditch Your Shitty Grandpa at the Family Reunion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22222501) by [Infinity_formation](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infinity_formation/pseuds/Infinity_formation). 



> So, here's the thing. This was something I had written after reading another Obito time travel fic and didn't really have any plans for. But, I also want to know what someone will think about it. Consequently, here it is, unfinished and with no plans for the future. Please do let me know what you think though, I like validation. 
> 
> Please do ignore any inconsistencies, I don't have a good memory for these things. Enjoy. Toodles.

Madara had been working on a seal for the past two years and had yet to tell Obito anything about it. He also hadn’t tried to hide it so Obito had not been able to figure out if it was important or not. Madara was not in the habit of sharing many things with Obito. He had been keeping track until the list had gotten too long and he had to scrap it. Even though he has been with Madara for most of his life, he has not yet been able to decide what things Madara considered important and how he ranked them. To be honest he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Obito had been keeping an eye on the war, Kakashi, and his genin’s especially, though with how strong they were getting he wasn’t sure if they could still be considered that. It was interesting to see Kakashi use his eye, he was not sad he had given it to him since it meant he got the Rinnegan, whenever Madara decided he was ready for it. 

When he first saw the seal, he was returning from one of his spying trips, Madara was sitting in the center of a massive seal drawn in what looked like blood. Obito would guess that it wasn’t his. He looked thoughtful and mumbled to himself, referencing a scroll Zetsu had pilfered from the ruins of the Uzumaki clan. Obito had stood at the mouth of the cave for several minutes looking at it. He didn’t know much about Fūinjutsu, just what little Madara had said offhandedly or in passing. It didn’t seem to be something he was keen on teaching Obito, but he gleaned what he could. 

Madara had tried at first, but it was the slowest thing Obito understood, and that was saying something, so eventually Madara had given up. Obito thought that he had improved greatly since his time as the dead last of the Academy, but he didn’t ever seem to be up to where Madara wanted him. 

“You are my student,” he once said to Obito several years ago. “The ability of the student reflects on the teacher.” 

He had probably said it to encourage Obito to do better but Obito cared nothing for what Madara thought him as. He may have saved his life, though honestly, Obito wasn’t sure he was grateful for that, all the pain he had put Obito through he considered them even. 

Obito was away from the cave more and more often now. Both as Tobi and whatever other disguises he decided on. If he wasn’t acting as Tobi, he was watching Kakashi. He had hated Kakashi, still kind if did, but the emotion was dampened by his desire to have Rin back and Rin had loved Kakashi so he felt obliged to do the same if only to make her happy. Kakashi may have changed but that didn’t mean they would ever be friends. 

He enjoyed being Tobi, though he usually never admitted that outside of the deepest parts of his mind. Acting out his younger self in a perverted form was entertaining and it never got old to see the annoyance grow on people’s faces. Occasionally, usually, when it was dark and he was alone, he wondered if Rin, and Kakashi he supposed though thoughts of him happened even less often, would be able to recognize him. An odd pang would grow in his chest, quickly squashed and forgotten about until the next time he thought too long on the subject.

  


It was raining and Obito was miserable. More so than usual. Zetsu had made a brief appearance and goaded him into anger, something Obito thought he had a handle on. Although with Zetsu, it was never easy to keep a reign on one’s emotions. He knew exactly where to push. 

Madara had been distracted with the seal again when Obito had made a short appearance at the cave mouth and he had left again without speaking. Madara would summon him if he needed him. Things seemed to be going smoothly, at least to Obito’s knowledge. The interaction they had was even stranger though.

“Come here.” It was a command. Always a command. Obito could never disobey.

Madara handed him a scroll with symbols on it similar to the ones on the floor, at least as far as Obito could tell. It was odd, but hardly the strangest things Madara had done. Zetsu was in the corner. Obito could feel him, cold and disgusting. 

“Keep that on you.”

It was hardly as strange request, but it was coming from Madara and Obito learned that nothing good ever came from that. He watched the scroll, the familiar tingle of anticipation going through him. Something always happened when he was given things from Madara. It usually ended up with someone dead. 

“What for?” He found himself asking.

A smile he’d never seen before appeared on Madara’s face. One Obito did not like. He looked almost happy, and not his usual content I’m-soon-going-to-end-the-world way. Zetsu chuckled. 

“Something important.”

Something important. That had been the first time Obito had been told straight out that it was important. He didn’t have to deduce it or slyly as. That scared him more than anything Madara had ever done. But the scroll was put dutifully away and Obito had all but run from the cave. Madara’s off-putting smile seared into his brain.

  


The rain was a steady pattering in the background as Obito found a cave big enough for him. It was nothing more than a cleft in the rock, but he needed little else. Pulling a change of clothes from a storage seal he dropped his mask and Akatsuki robe in, still wet. He would not need it for a few days and there would be time to worry about drying it latter. 

He checked the scroll out of habit. He hadn’t been back to the cave in several weeks but Madara’s smile still haunted his dreams. He kept waiting for something to happen and when it didn’t, he just got tenser. Important, Madara had said. Important for what? Obito had opened the scroll, Madara never said he couldn’t, but there was nothing else in it except for more of the strange symbolling. If Obito was honest, he wasn’t much of that anymore, the symbols had intrigued him, and he’d spend a few nights going over what he knew.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know enough, or the symbols were just that strange, and he’d been able to make nothing out. There was something about travel he thought or jumping. Even if Madara’s writing was legible, these symbols were too strange. Eventually, he’d given up. Whatever Madara planned to do with the scroll he wouldn’t discover that way. He would just have to wait. 

Wood dried and a fire started with a Fire Jutsu and soon the space was warming. Obito thumped to the ground on a bedroll and set a detection trap at the entrance just in case. No one had gotten the drop on him for a long time, but it never hurt to be careful. He closed his eyes with a sigh hoping tomorrow would go better than today. Maybe he’d go see Kakashi again, or Itachi. It always cheered him up when he did that.

  


There was sunlight. Why was there sunlight? Obito’s eye flew open to see trees, light playing softly on the leaves as they rattled in the breeze. He tensed. This was not the cave he had fallen asleep in. Was this another test from Madara? He hadn’t given Obito one for years. Perhaps it was a dream. It had also been years since he had seen Rin die again and he desperately wanted it to be a test. At least in those, he knew what to expect. His dreams could be curler then Madara. 

There were no chakra signatures in the area but Obito didn’t relax. He sat up waiting for Rin or Kakashi to burst from the undergrowth. Nothing happened but that merely made Obito more concerned. The longer they took to appear the more painful the memory was. His brain had added things over the years turning the terrifying memory into something more gruesome. Sometimes he was the one killing Rin. Others he killed Kakashi. (Those he never really minded at first, but after seeing a once friend, even someone who betrayed him, die by his hand was too much.)

Rising to a crouch, Obito pulled a kunai from his pouch. A bird called loudly from a tree and Obito shot it down on reflex. He stared at its body pinned to the tree. Had there always been birds in his dreams? His heart pounded wildly and his eye darted around trying to figure out where the phantoms would come from. 

A minute passed, then two, then three, and still they didn’t show. Was this a test from Madara then? There was nothing, and although Obito didn’t relax he stretched his senses outwards. There was an odd amount of life in the forest and it tickled his senses. Even the forest around Konoha hadn’t been this lively. Perhaps this was a Genjutsu? He pulsed his chakra, but nothing changed. He pulsed it again, bigger but still, nothing changed. 

A fluttery feeling, he distantly recognized as panic, swelling in the pit of his stomach. He pulled in a deep breath and closed his eyes, imagining the way Rin had taught him. 

_In._ _Out._ _In._ _Out._

Nature was usually calming but the chirps of the birds and rustle of leaves were so alien it might as well have been metal scraping against itself. By the time Obito felt calm enough to open his eye the heat from the sun had dimmed and shadows were beginning to play against his eyelid. 

_Everything’s fine,_ he told himself. _Everything is going to be fine._

His eye opened and nothing had changed. Although the shadows were longer, and the crater edge was now casting him in shade. Wait. Crater? He crouched in the middle of a rather impressive crater. There was no smoke or anything to indicate it had just been created and Obito wondered if it had been his doing, though he didn’t remember doing it, or if it had been there before and he just so happened to land in it. It took him an embarrassingly long time to realize he was waiting for an answer from something that couldn’t give him one. 

How had he not noticed this earlier? Well, he had been having a panic attack, loathed as he was to admit the weakness. Not much could induce panic anymore though when it happened, he tended to become incapacitated. It got embarrassing to watch. The sun had fully disappeared before Obito had to admit that this was not a dream, though he didn’t rule out one of Madara’s tests just yet. Whatever the case, he needed to find a place to stay until something made sense. Which he prayed would be soon. 

He jumped from the crater into what looked like a battlefield. There were marks from Earth, Water, and Fire Jutsu though none of them changed the landscape quite as impressively as the crater behind him. He didn’t remember any battlefields in the area, especially none as bad as this. The battle felt old. The marks on the earth were already beginning to be swallowed and Obito frowned at the lingering feel of chakra. 

The crater was roughly in the middle of the battle area and Obito could tell that it had ended the battle rather quickly. It was unclear which side had won, if any, or if they had managed to escape from whatever had caused the crater. Full details were hard to make out in the dark, though Obito had always prided himself that he had fantastic night vision. 

Deciding the wasn’t important at the moment he stretched his senses again. Perhaps he had missed something the first time. Nothing changed so Obito just picked a random direction and started walking. He noticed as he did that the woods were _alive_ in a way they weren’t back home. They thrummed with energy and Obito felt Hashirama’s cells react. 

At first, he’d hated the cells and the ugliness they caused. They were foreign and unfamiliar and the power they granted him felt awkward. He’d known instinctively it wasn’t his power to wield and had come to resent it for that. It had taken several years before he came to an almost understanding with it, something he still didn’t fully understand. It was almost as if he had proven himself. He hadn’t told anyone, considering Madara wouldn’t listen to him and there wasn’t anyone else to talk to. The plants had started to become more of a friend then he remembers having in the Village. It was a little sad. 

The night was spent traveling and he hadn’t met a single soul. There were stretched where no one lived but one was hard-pressed to go this long without some interaction. A traveler or merchant. But Obito saw no one. The closest he’d come was a skirmish several kilometers away. Although that had drawn him up short. There were Uchiha. Something he was sure he’d whipped from existence. 

It was too unbelievable; he had to see what was going on. Sprinting now, he dashed off in the direction of the skirmish stopping short of sensing range, quelling his chakra, and creeping closer to look. The 6 persons standing in the clearing were definitely Uchiha. If the closes didn’t give them away their chakra would, Obito would never forget it. Four bodies sprawled around them, blood already draining into the forest. He felt the forest respond and flinched. That was new.

“Get the scroll. Madara-sama is expecting it.”

Obito tried not to fall from the tree. Madara? That senile old fool was here? Well, that just made everything easier, didn’t it. He watched the team strip the dead, tucking weapons, scrolls, and anything else they could into packs. Why didn’t they use seals? After storing everything they checked their surroundings, not as thoroughly as Obito, before running off. Obito followed. 

The group traveled hard, reaching the _Uchiha Compound_ is reasonable time. Obito waited outside, watching the group enter the gates and the gates close behind them. He was confused and a little angry that so many Uchiha were still alive. He personally made sure they all died, how was this happening? 

Obito recognized Madara’s chakra almost instantly, flaring his to get his attention. He wanted answers and wouldn’t let Madara deflect anything this time. Madara arrived like he’d been waiting for him. Something that made Obito acutely uncomfortable. There was a Sasuke look-a-like behind him looking just as sulky and moody as the one Obito remembered. Madara even looked happy to see him when he jumped down from his tree. The look-a-like startled and pulled a weapon. Obito sneered at him.

“Obito, glad you made it. I knew you would find your way.”

“What’s going on, old man?”

“We are in the past.”

Obito scoffed. Of course, Madara wouldn’t tell him the truth. The one behind Madara frowned, confused.

“The seal activated before I could let you know what was happening. That scroll I gave you connected you to the seal. I was always going to being you. You are my student after all and what would be left for you there?” 

Obito blinked at Madara who looked like he had just explained the obvious. His face had more expression than Obito remembered, but given it was almost 60 years younger he expected nothing less. That’s what the seal had been for? Bullshit. Obito didn’t believe a word. Madara was playing a joke on him. Given his history with the things, Obito knew something terrible would be in store for him. Madara never did anything out of the kindness of his heart. The Sasuke look-alike stood beside Madara looking as lost as Obito though his expression was filled with more anger than anything else. 

“Who said I wanted to come with you?” 

“Of course, you would,” Madara stated in so much self-assurance Obito wanted to punch him. So, he did. 

Madara stumbled, expression showing his confusion. “Don’t look at me like I’m the crazy one. I am not your anything and would have been perfectly happy back then.” Okay, not technically true but at least he could watch Kakashi from afar and imagine Rin was still there. Here, in this strange place, it was almost impossible. “I didn’t ask to be dragged to kami knows where with someone I detest.” 

“But you’re my student.”

“Having taught me does not make me your student. I would rather cut out my own tongue then call you teacher.”

There was a beat of silence before Izuna, Obito remembers, exploded. “Nii-san brought you here out of his own kindness, how dare you!”

“He took me against my will twice now, both times I would have been better off on my own.” 

“Now, Obito,” Madara tried to reason. Obito now saw that whatever little sense he had was lost in whatever he had done to them. He did not believe time travel was possible and he would never forgive Madara for starting the Infinite Tsukuyomi, since it was the only thing Obito could reason to be the cause. He didn’t remember it happening, but it could have just as easily wiped those memories. At least he still had Rin. 

Glaring the full weight of his fury at Madara, and extension Izuna, Obito left. Izuna went to chase him but Madara placed a hand on his arm.

“Let him, he just needs time. He’ll be back, he always is.” 

Obito laughed. Be back? Never happening. Now that he had no reason to partner with Madara he had no reason to come back. As alien as the created world was, he was promised Rin, and Obito would find her or Madara would pay.

  


Tobirama sighed as he flipped the report closed. This was the fourth one in three weeks complaining about the mysterious white-haired ninja that was running around. One had even asked if it was him, to which he took great offense and Hashirama hadn’t stopped laughing for a whole day. The first he had ignored, the second and piqued his interest, the third he almost destroyed, and now this one. It was from an allied clan of theirs, a center for several trade routes, asking for assistance to remove the ‘annoying monstrosity’ immediately. 

Hashirama had happily offered to go for once, but Tobirama knew it was to do nothing but see Tobirama’s supposed look-alike. Tobirama had refused immediately. If anyone was going to catch this stranger, it would be him. No one pretends to look like him and gets away. 

Tobirama left alone, passing through the Land of Fire quickly, without the stops a party would have had to make. He reached the village in two days, a new personal record for him, but he had a personal grudge to settle. 

“Elder, where is he?” Tobirama said for once forgetting his greetings. 

The elder said nothing and motioned to probably his grandson. “Take him Kuida. It shouldn’t be hard to find him.” 

Kuida bowed and led the way towards the center of the village. “He’s decided to station himself here once he figured out this was on several trade routes. He’s been asking everyone who comes by about a girl. A lover he claims, though I don’t know anyone who would want to love him.” 

Tobirama was about to ask why when a shock of white hair appeared the same shade as his own but the face underneath it was a nightmare. Half his face was scarred and discolored, and the eye was missing. It looked like he had been hit with a rather large fire jutsu and had been unable to heal. The injury was not uncommon, though Tobirama hadn’t seen anything quite that bad before. He looked insane, the white locks were pointing in every direction and there were deep bags under the remaining eye. 

“Please, have any of you seen this girl!” A sketch was thrust into people's faces as they tried to pass, and it was clear that no one wanted him there but had enough instinct to know what a shinobi looked like. 

A surge of anger rose as Tobirama watched the man. How could anyone think that this could possibly be him?! 

“He’s been here for almost a week and is scaring off the traders. Please, can you do something about him?” 

Tobirama nodded sharply and marched over the crazy man. “You are disrupting these people. It is clear they have not seen who you are looking for. I suggest you look elsewhere.” 

The crowd collectively sighed in relief at Tobirama’s appearance. The man turned to look at him and didn’t move for several seconds. “How are you in my dream?”

Tobirama frowned. This man was clearly insane, a ninja who had spent too long on the battlefield. “This is no dream. Now leave before I’m forced to make you.”

He could hear Hashirama screaming at him that this was no way to treat someone suffering from battle fever, but the words were out and Tobirama was not one to compromise easily. So, he just folded his arms and stared at the man. There was a slow blink in return before the man sank to the ground. The surrounding civilians cleared out quickly at the increasing chakra and Tobirama had to double-check that his senses weren’t lying. 

He was an Uchiha. How had Madara allowed him to run around like this? Although he did not outwardly look like an Uchiha, anyone with enough sensing ability would be able to find out and nothing the man had been doing would bring any pride to the clan. 

As the chakra levels continued to rise, Tobirama was afraid that something would happen to the village. Moving beside the strange man he placed a hand on the other shoulder and flash stepped away. They landed in a clearing a distance from the village and Tobirama once again moved away from the man, letting whatever panic had overtaken him to settle. He slumped to the ground and didn’t move. 

The man’s chakra levels dropped suddenly and Tobirama tensed. He prepared for the worst then stared as the man pouted. A full-blown childish pout. It was worse than Hashirama’s. 

“Aww, we were just getting to the best part. Why’d you have to go and ruin it like that, huh?”

Tobirama didn’t answer, too confused to speak. The man’s pout deepened, and he slumped forward even more. It almost looked like he was going to throw a tantrum and Tobirama hoped that wasn’t the case. He had enough trouble handling Hashirama’s moods, he didn’t need the ones of a crazed shinobi. 

Taking an abrupt 180 the man jumped to his feet, standing with his hands on his hips looking like he had just won a prize. “Names Tobi. Nice to meet ya!” 

His hand was expended now and Tobirama looked between it and Tobi trying to not let his thoughts show on his face. Most definitely crazy then. 

The two stood like that for a few seconds before Tobi pouted again, his hand dropping. “Aww. It’s just a handshake.” 

Tobirama ignored it in favor of his purpose here. “You are disturbing the people. Stop what you are doing or leave. I will not ask twice.”

Tobi tilted his head and blinked innocently at him. “Then no more fun?”

“No more fun,” Tobirama said coldly. 

Tobi sighed dramatically. “Fine. If I must.” Then brightened. “Do you know where I can play next?” 

Tobirama tensed and had to force himself not to react. This man was dangerous. Despite his relaxed look and innocent child-like persona Tobirama knew. There was no mistaking the chakra that spiraled almost sluggishly like the man was trying to hide the fact that it could burn anyone without a thought. He’d done it too, of that Tobirama had no doubt, and he wasn’t going to let a crazy, dangerous man walk around free. Him being an Uchiha had nothing to do with it. 

“I do.”

Tobi brightened. “Then let’s go!”

He started to run off then turned to look behind him. He did another head tilt and blinked as if asking why Tobirama wasn’t following. Tobirama subtly reached down to check his weapons as he moved after the other man.

  


Obito was freaking out. He’d been careless. Looking for Rin had turned up nothing and he was beginning to panic again. No one had seen her, hadn’t even heard of her. It was grating on him. This was supposed to be the place of his fantasies except nothing went how he wanted it too. His face had always drawn looks, not that he let many people see it, but here there was nothing more than a passing glance. No one seemed to care, some had even been sympathetic which didn’t make sense, since he’s changed into his Akatsuki robes and everyone feared them. 

Then the Nidaime had shown up and Obito was seriously starting to question his sanity. It had always been somewhat debatable but then was nothing compared to now. He hadn’t slept much, expecting Rin and Kakashi to burst from the undergrowth as they did in his dreams, followed, and killed while he could do nothing. The nights had remained peaceful and Obito’s sanity had slowly been going the other way. 

_Time Travel._ Madara’s words played in his head as he ran in front of Tobirama. He had dismissed it so easily the first time, knowing it was impossible and that Madara liked to play with him. Except, here he was obviously not in the same time, the villages had proven that they were so outdated, and was being followed by a man who had died years before he was even born. 

He didn’t want to admit it but maybe Madara wasn’t crazy. At least not more than usual. He thought maybe Kakashi was alive since the one time he had shown his picture someone had claimed he looked like a Hatake, which he was but Obito hadn’t really wanted to see him. 

When the Nidaime has moved them out of the village Obito had come to some of his senses and slipped into Tobi without a thought. He’s come around completely when it was obvious Tobirama didn’t believe him. It was strange for someone to see through his persona so easily. He had built it so well that not even Itachi had caught on at first. Although, given the contrast between the two, he supposed it shouldn’t be all that surprising. Not with how much of a genius the Nidaime was said to be. Still, it would have been nice to not have to use it at all. At least his panic couldn’t take over just yet. Tobi didn’t panic after all.


	2. Madara Returns and Izuna Needs to Find the Real One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuna has a bad day. For a whole month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my opinion, I think the beginning of this chapter is some of the funniest stuff I've written.

Madara had returned. His face was distorted with a smile and Izuna almost stuck it through with his sword. His brother never smiled. He didn’t even know Madara was capable of that expression. It freaked him out. It was only the feel of familiar chakra that kept Izuna from doing something horrible to the fool who dared impersonate his brother. And would have failed miserably if not for the fact that this wasn’t an imposter and his brother really was standing there smiling at him. 

“Izuna!” 

“Nii-san,” Izuna said cautiously. 

Madara went in for a hug which had Izuna’s blade flashing up again. Madara pouted. 

“What Genjutsu are you under?” Izuna asked tapping the flat of his blade against Madara’s cheek. Maybe it would go right through him and Izuna could escape. Madara swiped at it. Solid, dang.

“Come now Zuni, can’t you recognize your own brother?”

“Zuni?”

“It’s the nickname I made for you. Like it?”

Izuna gagged. This was not his brother. No one in the Elemental Nations was going to convince him otherwise. But this wasn’t a Genjutsu and this imposter did have Madara’s chakra. There was just no way Izuna was going to believe it. 

“Let’s go Zuni. I can’t wait to see the clan.”

Hikaku looked at Izuna horrified as Madara skipped over to him. “Hikaku, good to see you.”

“Who is this?” Hikaku asked moving away from the overly enthusiastic man. 

“That’s what I want to know,” Izuna said.

“He was gone for two days!”

“I know.” 

Madara greeted a woman with a jovial hello. She ran away with a screech. 

“Everyone is so mean. I’m just trying to say hello.”

Hikaku and Izuna looked at each other. The walk to their house was awkward and surreal. Madara greeted everyone he could like he hadn’t seen them in years. By the time they reached the front door the whole compound was talking about and avoiding Madara. 

“How about you get some sleep?” Izuna suggested. He’d followed Madara around the house for the last twenty minutes as he inspected everything. Izuna was sure Madara had squealed at something but it was easier to pretend it hadn’t happened. It felt like his brother hadn’t been home in years, but he had only been gone for two days. The house hadn’t changed at all. 

“I have to make sure everything is here first.” 

“You haven’t been gone for that long. Nothing has changed.” 

“Oh? How long have I been gone for?”

Izuna decided he must have hit his head. There was no other explanation for his behaviour. He would need to have a healer look at him.

“Two days. We didn’t expect you back for another two.” 

“Hmm.”

Madara went back to exploring the house and Izuna went back to following him. 

“Did something happen for you to be here?” 

“No, I just came home.”

Izuna stopped. Came home? “What about the mission?”

Madara shrugged. “I couldn’t remember. Oh, you do still have this.” He picked up an old stuffed animal Izuna hadn’t used in years. “You always looked so cute hugging this.” 

“Nii-san,” Izuna said, trying not to attack his brother.

“Yes, Zuni?”

“What do you mean you forgot the mission?”

Madara, oblivious to the growing rage, shrugged. “I didn’t know which mission I was on when I came back so I left.” 

Izuna smiled icily. “Dearest brother, you mean to say that you left the mission without completing it?”

“Of course. I thought that would have been obvious.” 

“You mean to say that the client did not get what they requested?”

“Is that what this is for?” He held aloft a scroll. A top-secret scroll that had been a request specifically made of the Uchiha. “It’s not important anyway. The information’s wrong.”

“You read the scroll?” 

“Yeah.”

Izuna turned glacial. Fire burning at the edges. His chakra was beginning to shimmer around him. “Dearest brother. You have obviously been attacked and affected by something. It is important that you see a healer right away.”

“I have not. I am in perfect health. Better than I have in over 50 years.”

Izuna didn’t have a response. That was it. Still smiling, Izuna approached Madara who stood, looking confused and frankly stupid. “I’m afraid this won’t do. I can no longer trust your word. Dearest brother.” 

If this had really been Madara he would have seen this coming. 

If this had really been Madara he would have been able to block it. 

But this wasn’t Madara. 

This wasn’t Madara and so he just watched Izuna approach, clueless, as Izuna chopped the back of his neck.

  


“There’s nothing physically wrong with him,” the healer said, retracting his chakra. “Nothing has changed since his last checkup.”

“Impossible. Something happened to him.”

The healer shrugged apologetically. “I’m sorry Izuna-sama but I can find nothing.” 

Izuna growled and the healer flinched. It was impossible that nothing was wrong with his brother. His actions proved that something was. “Is it mental then?”

“It could be. I am not able to check.”

Izuna started pacing and the healer watched him cautiously. Frankly, he thought there was something wrong with both brothers but decided he liked living too much to share that. Madara hadn’t stirred but it was undecided if that was a good thing. 

“Fine,” he concluded. “Thank you.” Izuna dragged his brother out of the healer’s workspace, much to the healer’s relief. Madara dangled from Izuna’s shoulder, who wasn’t careful about where he walked. Maybe another wack to the head would right whatever the first one did wrong. The people watched the brothers, gossip, and chatter already making their rounds. Izuna didn’t look at anyone as he strode back to their house. Hikaku waited at the door, curious. 

“Can’t find anything wrong.”

Hikaku frowned. “That’s not possible.”

“My thoughts exactly.” 

Izuna nodded at Hikaku who followed him into the house. Throwing Madara onto the couch Izuna crossed his arms and scowled at the man. He was smiling, one arm lay across his chest the other dangled off the edge of the couch. 

“Another good wack should work. You think?”

“Maybe we should wait and see if the first one worked.”

Izuna pondered then prepared to kick. Hikaku sighed. Just before he could, Madara scowled, face returning to normal. The two froze as Madara’s eyes opened. It deepened for a second before going more neutral. “Izuna. Hikaku.”

“Nii-san,” Izuna greeted back like the past few hours hadn’t happened. 

“Madara-sama.”

“I’m expecting someone in the next few days. Prepare a bedroom for him.”

Hikaku bowed. He sent a glance to Izuna who asked the question for them both. 

“Who?”

“My student.”

  


Madara was waiting at the gate again.

“Nii-san. The elders are requesting a meeting.”

“Later.”

“You said that two weeks ago. When you failed to complete that mission.” Madara remained silent. Izuna sighed, frustrated. “You need to say something.”

“I will.”

Izuna waited. Madara didn’t move. Izuna sighed again, running his hands down his face. The elders had been nagging and complaining for two weeks. For all Madara’s waiting at the gate, he would disappear if anyone tried to find him. Even Izuna only managed it half the time, but it was enough apparently for the elders to think he would succeed. As if he’d ever really managed to get Madara to do anything. 

_“It is unacceptable for Madara to leave in the middle of a mission!”_

_“He has damaged our reputation and is making no move to right it.”_

_“How dare he not agree to see us!”_

_“Who does that boy think he is!”_

Izuna sighed again remembering their complaints. They weren’t unwarranted. Even some of the other shinobi were talking in hushed voices when they thought no one could hear. Yet here stood Madara, waiting for a student he didn’t have. 

Nothing seemed to bother Madara. He waited and talked about nothing but his student. 

“He’s not the brightest but I have hopes for him. Even though we don’t talk much I know he cares for me. I’ve taken care of him almost his whole life after all, there’s no way he wouldn’t.”

Izuna was getting annoyed with this non-existent student. He was ruining his brother’s life without concern, forcing Madara to wait for him rather than the other way around. He would have to make sure to give him a lecture about proper etiquette when he arrived. A long lecture.

  


“Nii-san. This is getting out of hand. It’s been a month and he still hasn’t shown up.”

“He will.”

Izuna pursed his lips. This argument always went in circles. Izuna tried to convince Madara his student wasn’t coming and Madara always stubbornly claimed he was. At least he wasn’t waiting at the gate anymore. Izuna had managed to at least do that. Paperwork that should have been completed a week ago was spread out on the table. Madara poked at it and it took all Izuna’s control not to light everything on fire. The elders were still nagging him, and their client was now speaking bad about them to everyone he could. The elders had managed to catch Madara and annoy him into making amends with the client. Instead, Madara had simply told him that the information on the scroll was false anyway and that he’d done him a favor by not handing it over. 

This, of course, didn’t go over so well and Izuna was still trying to deal with the fallout. The elders were furious, and their shinobi were questioning Madara’s sanity. Izuna was too. He, however, was not allowed to show it. He had to pretend that Madara was completely fine. 

Yay him.

“Nii-san,” Izuna tried again. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a student?”

“You weren’t around to know.”

Izuna massaged a headache. “Then you simply had to tell me when I was.”

Madara’s face darkened. “I didn’t matter then.”

“Well, it matters now!” Izuna snapped. “You spend all your time waiting for a student no one knew you had. The clan is suffering from a mistake you made, and you are doing nothing to fix it. You are the Clan Head and it is unacceptable that I have to clean up the mess that you made!”

He was breathing hard now but Madara wasn’t paying attention. His head was cocked to the side, delight spreading across his face. He grinned at Izuna. “He’s finally here.”

“Don’t you dare!” Izuna started but felt the pulse of chakra. “What?”

“Come on Zuni. Meet my student.” 

Izuna frowned. Madara still insisted on calling him that ridiculous nickname. Madara vanished, Izuna following. It was time he met the student Madara seemed so proud of.

  


Izuna was fuming. That was the student Madara was so proud of? He’d been flat out disrespectful and Madara hadn’t even batted an eye! The urge to wring both their necks had Izuna’s fingers twitching. There was a stupid look on Madara’s face. Izuna left after seeing it, unable to control himself if he’s stayed. He couldn’t quite see the boy being the one to charm Madara, but it was the only thing that made sense. Anything else would be impossible. Madara wasn’t an easy one to fool. 

He thought about the boy’s face again and grimaced. It had been ugly. No attempt had been made to cover up the scar, but neither he nor Madara seemed to notice it. Apparently, it was normal. 

He’d been Uchiha. That was probably the most surprising part. An Uchiha that Izuna hadn’t meet didn’t exist. He always knew how many of his clan there were. The chance of one being born and him not only not finding out, but having his brother find him first, was impossible. In fact, everything about this situation was impossible. 

Madara would have never been able to keep a student secret for this long. Izuna stuck to his idea that something happened on Madara’s mission that changed everything, and this strange boy was involved. 

“You called?” Hikaku bowed and straightened, face already curious. 

Izuna had gone directly to his house. This needed to be done now. “Track him. There is something my brother isn’t telling me, and that boy is in the middle of it. I want to know everything about him.”

“Understood.”

Izuna spun and left, confident Hikaku would find something that would explain everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Madara returned I pictured him crashing into the middle of a battle. Hense the giant crater. I wasn't sure where to put that exactly so I'm telling you here. I was thinking it would be between the Senju and Uchiha but that wouldn't make sense so it was just two other clans that happened to be fighting. 
> 
> As to why Izuna hasn't found out, ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I figure he's too busy trying to clean up after Madara to worry about the new rumor, or maybe Madara managed to scare the other clans so bad that they don't dare talk about it.


	3. Infuriating and Meddlesome Senju

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now introducing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't a long chapter but it's been sitting on my computer for a while and I figure I should share something. I couldn't quite figure out how to use Obito and Tobi since the Senju don't know he's called Obito. If the names are mixed up or it gets confusing I apologize. I tried to use Tobi when the Senju are speaking about Obito and Obito when he's thinking and more the main focus. 
> 
> Happy reading.

After confirming that Obito was in fact going to follow and didn’t have anything sinister planned Tobirama basically ignored him. As much as any shinobi can at least. Obito still felt his attention and it put him on edge. His panic had receded and with it, Tobi. He had wanted to protest when Tobirama placed a seal on him, but Tobi merely wondered about it. It began to itch the second it was complete but Obito couldn’t do anything. He kept up the charade for a while, but it became increasingly obvious that Tobirama didn’t believe so he eventually dropped it. 

With this revelation came anger. Tobirama didn’t smirk but Obito knew he was smug. He wasn’t usually on this end of things. The abrupt change decreased the tension oddly enough. It was concerning at first but Obito eventually decided to accept it and move on. It was always easier that way in the end. It was disconcerting that someone hadn’t been fooled by Tobi. Obito had tricked so many others, maybe he was just getting arrogant. The silence that followed was almost pleasant but Obito was too wound up to really appreciate it. He missed the barrier of Tobi when it was gone but at least now he wasn’t being stared at to the same extent. Tobirama appeared to have accepted something about him that Obito hadn’t discovered yet. 

The Senju clan was situated comfortably. Their power and prestige were obvious in the well-built houses and thriving people. Obito was only momentarily envious before he remembered that with prosperity usually came rot. His observation didn’t go unnoticed. (Obito found not much did with the White Senju.) He had been inspected as much as he inspected and Obito felt himself grow twitchy with irritation. He could almost hear Zetsu chanting in the background. 

He never thought he’d say this but he almost missed Kakashi and his annoying kids. At least with them, he knew what to expect. 

“Tobi!”

Both turned at the call and Obito observed Hashirama as he bounded over. Madara had often told Obito about the elder Senju, switching between flattering and cursing. Obito had decided early on that Madara was obsessed with Hashirama and was just too oblivious to notice. He was also the only being Zetsu seemed warry of, spiking Obito’s curiosity from a ‘he’s Madara’s crush, gross’ level to a ‘too bad he’s dead’ level.

Now, here he was, chatting with Tobirama. His attention continued to shift to Obito but neither he nor Tobirama thought it necessary to make an introduction. Eventually, Hashirama just introduced himself. 

“Are you Tobirama’s look-a-like?”

Obito felt his face distort into disgusted confusion. “No.”

Tobirama shared the sentiment. “He looks nothing like me. I do not know why people keep saying he does.” 

“It’s the white hair,” Hashirama said. “Though I didn’t know Uchiha capable of the color.”

Obito stiffened. “I’m not an Uchiha.” 

Tobirama’s eyebrows rose. He’d never heard someone so vehemently deny that fact.

Hashirama’s face scrunched in confusion. “Of course, you are. Tobi didn’t do anything to you, did he? He tends to go a little overboard when it comes to the Uchiha.”

“Obviously, I didn’t. He’s here isn’t he,” Tobirama said, folding his arms. Hashirama shrugged.

“I have never seen someone so against the name. Especially not one of its own,” Tobirama said. 

“I was never meant to be born an Uchiha. It is a connection I will deny, always.” 

This Tobirama didn’t understand. All the Uchiha he had the misfortune to meet were spectacularly loyal and proud of the name. Yet, here was someone who hated the name almost as much as he did. 

“Madara wouldn’t stand for that.”

Tobi snorted. “Madara can go screw himself. He no longer gets a say in what I do.” 

Tobirama raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected. Although, when it came from such an angry man perhaps it wasn’t.

“But they’re your family!” Hashirama said, looking between the two.

Tobi narrowed his eyes and Tobirama could see him calculating his response. “I have never met one of them who treats me like family.” 

Hashirama gasped and Tobirama’s own eyes narrowed in thought. Obito watched them. Hashirama was already babbling sympathy. Obito was trying to avoid his hugs but was having little success. Tobirama looked thoughtful. Obito hadn’t lied. He had yet to meet any of the Uchiha here and the ones back home had hardly treated him like he belonged. He supposed these Uchiha had yet to do anything to him, but he didn’t really care. Madara was also with them, and whatever points had been in their favor were rapidly decreasing. 

Hashirama seemed intent on hugging him to death and he found himself snarling whenever he got close. The older Senju didn’t even flinch at the sound and whatever Tobirama had gleaned from him had dropped his danger rating. Obito wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Tobi had become a feared existence and Obito had reveled in that. Here though, he was just a freak with a problem. His mood darkened, causing Hashirama to stop and stare.

His body was protesting the prolonged physical contact and his panic was storming right back in. Contact meant pain and Obito had long come to resent that. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Hashirama said, speaking slowly like he might bolt. Obito was tempted to. It was only training that kept his body in place. He was tense. Muscles taught and mind keen to anything that might be a threat. Both men reacted to Obito in different ways. Hashirama continued to talk to him like a child, sending soothing words and chakra his way. That did nothing but make him tenser. Tobirama had gone into battle prepared mode, but after seeing his brother's attempts finally just shoved him out of the way. 

He planted himself in front of Obito. In any other situation, it would have resulted in a fight. Hashirama was trying to get his brother to move while Tobirama just stared at him. With something familiar to focus on Obito latched onto it. The disinterested steadiness of Tobirama’s chakra did far more than anything ever had. When he was fully himself again, Obito grunted in embarrassment. His reaction had been wildly unnecessary, and he already knew Hashirama wasn’t going to let it go. 

Tobirama quirked an eyebrow like he was amused and Obito narrowed his eyes in response. Hashirama was oblivious to everything. Or at least did a good job of pretending he was. Obito eyed the seals again and cursed the fact that it had to be Tobirama that caught him. Even in the past, his seals were causing him problems. The hairs on his arms lay flat again when both moved farther away, and the panic subsided. 

“Is there no one you call family?” As graciously as could be expected after that outburst, Hashirama changed the subject. Not that the topic was any less uncomfortable.

“No one still alive.” At least not that he’d found. There was still a wild hope that Rin was somewhere. He could at least keep that. 

Hashirama looked to cry more and Obito’s face morphed into disgust. Instead of turning him off it only seemed to spur the Mokuton user's desire to comfort. He refrained from touching his again for which Obito was glad.

“I do not need your sympathy,” Obito said. “I have no business with you at all.”

“You were creating a disturbance,” Tobirama said.

“An oversight that won’t happen again.”

“Can’t you at least inform Madara where you’re going.” Hashirama was determined to bring Madara into this.

Obito grimaced. “The less he knows the more comfortable I will be.” He looked at Tobirama. “What will it take to get my freedom.” 

Tobirama considered the man. Hashirama spoke in the background but was ignored. This strange-looking man was similar to himself in ways he didn’t like to compare. He knew Tobirama wasn’t about to just let him go. Not with the war between their clans. Even while knowing that, he was still dangerous. 

“Would you too stop being so gloomy? We still need to make sure you’re okay,” Hashirama broke in. 

“I’m fine.”

“Says the one who had a panic attack earlier.”

“It was under control.”

Hashirama laughed. “You still had one. I won’t let you go until you I am certain it won’t happen again.”

From the look on Tobi’s face, that was going to take a while. 

Tobirama stepped in. He did want to keep the Uchiha here but even he knew that was ridiculous. “Anija, that is impossible, and you know it.” 

“I could convince Madara if he thought it would help one of his own.”

Obito laughed. It was abrupt and harsh. Hashirama frowned at him disapprovingly. “There has to be someone you care about.”

A cold, detached look entered Tobi’s eyes. He looked at the ground and for the first time, Tobirama thought he was going to harm himself in some way. The difference between this man and the one in the village was so stark that Tobirama questioned what had happened to him. It was a train of thought he abruptly dismissed, he was an Uchiha, but it still clung to the edges of his mind. 

When Tobi looked back up his gaze was steady, traces of his old persona slipping through. “There is no one I trust to have affection for me.” 

The statement was so truthful the following silence was heavy. Even Hashirama wasn’t sure how to react to it. He gaped a little, and his fingers twitched like they wanted to do something but didn’t know what. Whether Tobi knew the effect his announcement had on them was unclear. The fact that he hadn’t even flinched was suspect though. It almost made Tobirama suspicious again but there was something about his delivery that stuck a truthful chord. Until proven otherwise, Tobirama decided he would believe him. 

The silence grew awkward and Hashirama continued to glance between them. Tobi seemed perfectly content to stay silent and as Tobirama wasn’t one for much talk all conversation stagnated. Even Hashirama, with all his excess energy, couldn’t find a way to break it. Eventually, it was the clan that decided. 

“That’s one ugly Uchiha.”

Obito frowned. The earlier statement faded to the background, faced as it was with a more easily dealt with insult. Hashirama looked a little too relieved when he turned to scold Toka. There were a few more gathered behind her and Tobirama could feel the tension grow across Tobi’s shoulders. There was still no question of the man being dangerous, but whether it be because of his fake personality, his recent confession, or the fact that Tobirama had never related to someone more in his life, Tobirama didn’t feel the need to restrict his movements as they walked into the camp. Tobirama might just have to rethink his opinion of the Uchiha and that scared him more than anything.


	4. Obito Panics. Really Panics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Obito going from fine to not fine is too abrupt please let me know.
> 
> Also, our Poor Obito is not doing well.

Obito hated this. Hashirama had told him he could move around but doing so resulted in Tobirama following him. Anyone else he probably wouldn’t have minded but there was something about the white-haired Senju that just annoyed him. It was impossible to identify because the man never did anything. Obito would’ve much preferred it if he did. 

“If you want to question me there are easier ways of doing it.” Obito finally snapped. He got to the edge of the camp when the Senju appeared beside him. Obito had taken to coming to the edge just to see the reaction of the other. There was some alarm the first time it happened but with each consecutive trip, it faded. 

Tobirama raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “I think I am doing a rather fine job like this.”

Obito hated that Tobirama was so good with his words. That had always been one area he’d excelled in but after spending as much time as he did with the Senju he’d discovered that Tobirama was as good, if not better than him. 

Hashirama’s chakra prickled along his senses and in sync, he and Tobirama sighed. There was a glance and Obito looked away quickly. He didn’t want to have anything in common with anyone here but that was proving difficult. 

“You do not seem open to me asking questions and there is no other way of obtaining information.”

Much to his chagrin, Tobirama had seen more about him than anyone had in a long time. It was frustrating how easy it was to react to the things the Senju did. He hadn’t really been apart from Tobirama since he’d arrived and the Senju was becoming a familiar presence. It frightened Obito that he was getting used to the man. He didn’t want to get used to anyone ever again. 

Tobirama was inspecting him and Obito cursed his superior sensing abilities. There had been a few spikes of panic the three weeks of his ‘stay’, as Hashirama called it, and Tobirama had been present for all of them. Without Tobi to fall back on it was hard for Obito to deal with the complex emotions he’d buried since his death in that cave. 

He almost missed Kakashi at this point, which said a lot about his mental state. Strangely enough, Tobirama kept Hashirama away for the worst of his attacks and Obito wasn’t sure if he should thank him. It did help to not have Hashirama fluttering around him but there was also the slowly growing camaraderie between him and the younger Senju. 

Apart from his victims, the only person Obito had ever really talked to was Madara. Just thinking about that sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine and he grimaced. He had thrown away his happy bubbly self and as a result, no longer was good at human interaction. He was ugly and harsh and didn’t need others. The problem with that was others always seemed to need him. Madara obviously couldn’t do without him, him dragging Obito to the past was proof enough of that. Everyone else was simply a stepping stone to getting Rin back. They didn’t need to be anything other than that. He didn’t want them to.

The other Senju avoided him which was more than okay with Obito. He hadn’t been able to wear his mask in camp, something that had only added to his tension in the beginning. It was almost as much a part of him as Tobi was. Hashirama had pounced on it the second Obito had brought it out.

“It’s not polite to wear it in a friendly place.” 

Obito had wanted to make a retort about that but it was exchanged for an embarrassing yell of panic when Hashirama yanked it out of his hands. The older Senju brother either chose to ignore Obito’s slowly mounting panic or hadn’t realized what his action had caused.

Obito never took his eyes off it, trying to keep his murderous instinct from overflowing too much. Hashirama was just that much of an idiot. Before things got messy, Tobirama appeared and took the mask from his brother's waving hands. 

“You should not make claims that are untrue, Anija.”

“Untrue? Why would you say that?” 

“Because we did not take him for completely pure reasons.”

There was a snort from Hashirama. “Of course, we didn’t. That doesn’t mean this can’t be a safe place.” 

“Just because you claim it is does not make it so.”

“Are you suggesting our camp is unsafe?”

“For him. Perhaps.”

Obito listened with only half an ear as Tobirama inspected the mask then held it out to him. Obito’s first reaction was to reject it since it was coming from an enemy but that was quickly overridden by his desire to have it back. His grab was frantic and unrefined. Tobirama didn’t even flinch as it was ripped from his grasp, disappearing as soon as Obito had it. 

The rising swell of his panic slowly retreated behind the wall Obito usually kept it behind. The Tobi shaped hole wasn’t helping matters but Tobirama, for reasons Obito didn’t want to think about, was acting like a bandage. The Senju brothers were still talking but Obito was no longer listening. His mask was back, and he promised himself it would never get taken again. His reaction was unpleasant and unwelcome. He hadn’t realized just how attached he was to the thing. 

“How then would it be best to acquire information from you?”

It took Obito a second to process. “Why would I have any information for you?”

Tobirama sighed his eye roll and Obito regretted asking the second it was out of his mouth. Whether he wanted to or not he knew things about people that Tobirama wanted to know. Hashirama checked in on them again and Obito flared his chakra more than necessary, resulting in Hashirama’s immediate move towards them. 

“Damn it!”

Tobirama returned to his passive expression as Hashirama appeared behind them.

“Everything okay? You felt worried.”

“I need you to stop treating me like a child. I already have one brother following me I don’t need another.”

Obito was gasping and Hashirama had his worried face on. The sudden urge to _get away get away get away_ filled him and his Sharingan spun to life. Hashirama gasped and Tobirama tensed. Hashirama was speaking but all he could hear was Zetsu’s taunts and Madara’s orders. His chest was painful, and his head was getting fuzzy. His vision wavered so he closed his eyes. A few stumbling steps then he was on the floor grasping at his throat. Someone was choking him. 

“Breathe!”

The command had him gasping hands clawing the dirt. It was several minutes before his breathing didn’t rush through him so forcefully and his head wasn’t swimming. It was several more minutes before Obito even bothered to open his eyes. Obito stared at the sky vacantly, wondering why he bothered. Life would be so much easier if he just closed his eyes and didn’t open them again. There would be no Madara or Zetsu; no Senju and this crazy nonsensical time travel; no Kakashi and his brats wherever they were; there would also be no Rin who, on particularly depressing days, Obito would wonder if she mattered at all. Was she worth the price of living?

A sob broke his contemplation. Turning, Obito saw Hashirama sitting beside him, sobbing. Why was he sad? It wasn’t as though Obito meant anything to anybody. He didn’t have a place to belong anymore. Rin was dead. Now, he’d lost Kakashi too. He really missed Kakashi.

“Don’t stop breathing.”

Had he? Obito pulled in another lungful of air. Breathing was hard, why did he have to keep doing it. Hashirama let out another agonizing sob and Obito blinked. The sky was blue today. Minato’s eyes were blue. Even as he’d killed him, they hadn’t lost their color. It was a shame how pretty his eyes had been.

“Tobi.”

Another voice. Turning the other way Obito saw white. Ah, so Kakashi was still here. That’s good. He’d missed Kakashi. He still hated him, but he missed him. Was that weird? Obito thought it was weird. 

Tobi. Where had Tobi gone? He’d abandoned Obito too. Tobi couldn’t be hated though. Obito could never figure out why.

His vision was wavering again. Right. Breathe.

Breathing was hard.

Life was hard.

Why was he alive again?

  


_Damn it damn it damn it_

Tobirama’s hand splayed on Tobi’s chest, his chakra the only thing keeping Tobi’s lungs filling and emptying. What was going on? One minute, Tobi was fine and the next he was dying.

“Anija, stop crying, and help me. You're better at this than me.”

“You can’t mix two healing together.” Hashirama wiped his face.

“Then take over,” Tobirama said.

Gingerly, Hashirama moved his hands over Tobirama’s green beginning to grow on his hands. Tobirama withdrew his and Hashirama replaced them. Tobi’s breath stuttered but resumed normal function. 

“Is this my fault?” Hashirama asked softly.

Tobirama stood. “No. Not directly at least.”

“So, I still did?”

“You’ve been stalking him since he arrived. That on top of the fact that he was never alone built-up stress. This is the breaking point.” 

“Then – “

“We’re both at fault.” 

Hashirama watched Tobi breathe. He looked…not peaceful but quiet perhaps. Not plagued by the things in the waking world. 

“Should we call Madara?”

“After his reaction?”

“He is not awake to protest and maybe Madara could help?”

Tobirama frowned not liking the idea. “He would need to be moved.”

“The river. Tell Madara we will meet him by the river.”

“I will trust you on this, Anija. Know however that I do not like it.”

  


Izuna saw the bird before Madara did and had the note in his hand when Madara came pounding up the stairs. 

“Zuni. That’s Hashirama’s bird. What does he want?”

Madara knowing an enemy bird was not suspicious, especially not with his brother’s knowledge of the animals. What was, was the excitement with which Madara waited to hear what said enemy wrote.

Izuna had been trying to figure out a way to convince his brother to agree to a mind scan. He glanced between the note and Madara, who was petting the bird and cooing at it. It nuzzled back strangely familiar with him. Focusing his thought’s Izuna decided to try his luck. 

“I will give this to you only if you agree to get a Yamanaka to look at you.”

“I do not need it.”

Izuna shrugged. “Then I guess you don’t want this.”

Madara narrowed his eyes and the bird flew to the sill, startled. Izuna placed the note in his mouth, making hand signs for a fireball. He raised an eyebrow.

“Fine. If they see nothing wrong, you drop it.”

Izuna dropped his hands. “Agreed.”

In a rush, Madara grabbed the note and tore it open, eyes alight again. That quickly dimmed and worry took its place. Without a word, Madara disappeared.

“Madara!” Izuna called after him tracking his chakra. He left camp in such a hurry. What could possibly have been in that note to make him act like that.

Determined to find out. Izuna tracked Madara chakra, an easy thing to do when his emotions were heightened. It led him to the river where Madara and Hashirama used to play. That wouldn’t have been a big deal if it weren’t for the Senju chakra’s waiting there. He quickened his pace, appearing beside his brother, ready to defend. What he was met with was two worried Senju and an unconscious Uchiha. The same Uchiha that Madara claimed was his student.

“What’s wrong with him?” Madara fell to his knees beside the man, tracing his face gently.

“He had a panic attack.”

“Oh.” Madara didn’t seem to know what to do with that information. He continued to pet the man’s injured side. “I didn’t know.”

The white Senju didn’t look surprised while Hashirama reacted with the same enthusiasm he did everything else. 

“He said we couldn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to know, but I figured you seemed to know him and might know what to do.”

Madara hadn’t taken his eyes off the man, his hand still running down the other's face. Grass and flowers grew around Hashirama and Obito, reaching up to curl around Obito’s arm and around Hashirama’s legs. It tried to grow between Madara’s hand and Obito’s face but Madara kept brushing it away. Hashirama watched with fascination.

“I’ve never known it to do that before.”

The plants continued to grow up and around Obito as if trying to encase him. 

“Stop it, Obito. It’s only me.”

Madara’s words only made the plants grow faster encasing up to Hashirama’s elbows. The plants continued to attempt to stop Madara but were never successful.

With a sudden jerk, Hashirama stopped healing, eyes going wide.

“Fucking stupid old man, get your shitty hands off me!”

Obito sat up so abruptly Madara was sent rolling back. Grass and flowers snapped and broke, uncurling as quickly as they had appeared. The other was on his feet and snarling before Madara stopped. Hashirama sat staring with flowers still twining up his arms.

“Obito!” 

“Tobi!”

Madara leapt to his feet and dashed towards him. Obito punched Madara sending his rolling again. Izuna bristled.

“I told you to never touch me again.” 

“Obito! How else am I going to prove how much I care about you?”

Obito’s eyes were emotionless as they stared at Madara. A shiver ran up Izuna’s back and a quick glance at the Senju proved they felt that same. What exactly was the relationship between these two?

“Why does he keep calling you Obito?” Hashirama asked.

“That’s his name.”

“Oh.”

“He doesn’t really like Obito because it was the name of the boy he was before I remade him.” Madara continued. 

“Remade him?” Tobirama’s voice was cold.

“How else was I supposed to save his life and have him help me take over the world? He was so enthusiastic about it too.”

The following silence was heavy and awkward. Izuna realized he needed to get Madara to a Yamanaka soon. His brother was crazy.

“No wonder he didn’t want to come back.” 

Izuna turned to Tobirama. The other looked back and an odd sort of conversation happened before Izuna looked away. There was too much going on right now. Obito looked like he’d completely shut down. His eyes were vacant, and his muscles were loose. It looked almost like he was waiting for something.

“Obito,” Tobirama said. The other turned towards him. “We’re going back.”

Obito nodded slowly, still vacant and loose. Izuna frowned. 

“You can’t take him! He’s mine.” Madara protested.

“He left and was found by me. That makes him no longer yours.” Tobirama curled a hand around Obito’s bicep the other blinking down at the contact. A resigned acceptance filled his eyes and Izuna pondered what exactly his brother could have done to him.

“I saved his life and now he belongs to me.” 

“Life doesn’t work that way, Madara,” Tobirama said and he disappeared with Obito. 

That was new.

Hashirama didn’t look quite so friendly when he left. Despite his frown and previous words, Madara didn’t seem that concerned with Obito’s return. 

“He’ll be back. He always comes back.”

This time, Izuna didn’t like those words.

  


Obito stayed docile the whole trip home and Tobirama almost liked him better when he was on the verge of death. It was less creepy that way. He returned to Obito’s room and sat him on the bed. Without prompting Obito lay back, looking up at him with resignation. What did he expect Tobirama to do?

Horror churned in his gut, remembering Madara’s words.

_I remade him_

The urge to punch something swelled and Tobirama bit his nails into his palms. Hashirama appeared a moment later looking contemplative and depressed. Obito had closed his eyes, body loose in an anticipatory way and Tobirama wished that sometimes he wasn’t so good at connecting the dots. Eventually, his muscles relaxed into sleep and both Tobirama and Hashirama relaxed too.

“So, no going back to Madara.” 

“No going back.”

“Will he be better when he wakes? Will he remember?”

Tobirama sighed. “I don’t know.” 

Hashirama always wanted to make things better but Tobirama knew that some things weren’t so easy to fix.


	5. Contemplation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I think this feels rushed? Yes. Am I going to change it? No.  
> I've also come to the realization that this might be more intense than I thought and am considering raising the rating. Should I?

Obito woke this time to a dream, the one he’d been expecting since he’d first arrived. It played out like it always did. There was Rin, running, then Kakashi, stabbing a lightning-coated hand through her chest. This time though, Obito couldn’t bring himself to feel anything. Everything was numb. The scene started again but his reaction was the same. Nothing.

He had long stopped trying to interfere with the dream, quickly coming to realize he couldn’t. That didn’t stop him from raging at it though. It was quite cathartic to yell and scream where no one could hear him. Hurl insults and endearments in the same breath. Sometimes he didn’t know who he was yelling at anymore. He sat, apathy curling tightly in his gut as the images whirled around him. The faint impression that Madara had been there was enough to keep him aware, though the pain that followed had yet to start. Although it had been several years, it wasn’t something he could forget.

He considered if somewhere deep down he didn’t want to forget. Used the pain as his own punishment. It was very, very small and deep, deep down, but it was there. Obito could hardly ignore it despite his best efforts.

Kakashi got over Rin’s death, and Obito felt resentment at that, although it felt more from necessity than out of any lingering feeling. Obito was tired. Rin was now gone forever in Madara’s insanity, and even though Obito was mixed on it, he’d lost Kakashi too. Zetsu was had been an ass, and Madara was delusional enough to think Obito was his student. His life had never been good, too many things had gone wrong, but he’d been content, if not momentarily happy.

He’d pined after Rin and argued with Kakashi, laughed with Minato, and done some awesome pranks with Kushina. He did not have family, but those four became the closest thing. Except he’d been responsible for the death of Minato and Kushina, had witnessed the death of Rin by Kakashi’s hand, and resented him for living when he should have died to repent.

Not only did Kakashi not die he even became happy. Grew another family around the ruins Obito created. Honesty had died with Rin, but here, now, in the confines of his own mind, he allowed a small portion of it to revive. He resented Kakashi, resented him so much it hurt, but not all of it was because he’d killed Rin. Kakashi was happy and Obito resented him for it. Resented him for getting over Rin’s death even though he’d been the reason. (He resented him for being happy and if he let himself dwell, he resented Kakashi for being happy when he couldn’t be.)

He was jealous. Slow to the uptake as he’d often been accused of, but since there was nothing to lose, he may as well admit it. He was jealous. Of Kakashi and his happiness. Of the knowledge that he had moved on while Obito had done nothing but stew in hatred and revenge. Their positions had reversed, and the hatred was so pathetically one-sided, Obito grimaced. Even in this Kakashi proved better than him.

He never dwelled on this topic for precisely this reason. Too much pathetic in one place.

There were several moments of silence when he opened his eyes before he felt the oppressive weight of Hashirama’s chakra at the door. It paced back and forth, pulsing, and curled tightly around him. Tobirama’s was there too, almost buried beneath his brothers.

What.

Lethargy and emotions still hung heavy along Obito’s mind. The room was warm, not the cold stone he’d become too familiar with. Soft cotton brushed against his skin. Was Madara playing a tick on him? If so, he’d succeeded. This, the inside of his room at the Senju compound, hit harder than anything Madara could dredge up about his past. He didn’t have enough emotional capacity to think why.

Here in the waking world, Obito was pleasantly numb. What was once too stimulating was now just the distraction he needed. The wetness that cooled on his cheeks was easy enough to forget.

Nothing hurt. A good thing, and something Obito couldn’t quite be thankful for. That probably said something about him he didn’t want to look into. The wall that was Hashirama and the oddly comforting presence that was Tobirama reacted the second his chakra touched theirs. It was gratifying to have the undivided attention of two powerful beings despite the fact they were the cause of this, but he wasn’t thinking straight so he’d forgive himself later.

Under Hashirama’s eager hands the door just barely managed to not go through the wall.

“Obito!”

There was so much raw emotion in his voice that Obito flinched. Hashirama saw that and froze, tears bubbling up in his eyes and spilling freely down his face. Tobirama looked passively between the two, but even he looked more worried than Obito thought him capable of. Both brothers hesitated halfway across the room, and the whole time Obito had been here, there was never a time either had taken so much consideration for his feelings.

No snarky reply from him. Hashirama seemed all the more depressed for it.

“Do you know where you are?” Tobirama asked.

Obito nodded.

“Can you speak?”

A frown, then a shake. Madara never liked to talk after their _sessions._ Obito never had much energy for it anyway.

Hashirama gathered chakra in his hands. If he tried to use that on Obito he’d bite his hand off. The Senju moved forward and flinched at Obito’s spike in chakra.

“Will you live?” Tobirama, as always, just stared at him, chakra a steady thrum.

Obito nodded slowly. He’d been through worse, this was nothing. Tobirama stared into his eyes, did one more sweep of his body, then turned and dragged his brother from the room.

“Tobirama! We can’t just – “

The abrupt silence and gentle wash of Tobirama’s chakra spoke of seals and while that pissed Obito off, he was slightly grateful. The room was dim. Light filtered through curtains and made patterns on the floor. The shadow of a tree danced in a breeze outside and Obito watched it move and slither along the floor.

Zetsu’s voice echoed in the back of his mind.

A sharp jerk brought his gaze back to the ceiling before he just shut his eyes entirely. He’d have to get up eventually. The thought alone dragged exhaustion heavily through his limbs, and it was only the hum of Tobirama’s chakra around him that kept him from completely despairing.

Tobirama.

Everything could be linked back to him. Obito should hate the man. Did to some extent. Why then was his chakra the only thing that was keeping him from losing his mind?

Ꙛ

Hashirama paced and Tobirama considered strangling him into stillness. To keep from ending his brother’s life early, he closed his eyes and breathed steadily. Long breath in, long breath out. Just as Hashirama was beginning to blend into the background he reinserted himself into Tobirama’s perception. Not hissing at him was a close thing.

“What?”

“Are you sure we should leave him alone?”

Tobirama sagged minutely. “Do you not remember what the cause of this whole thing was?”

“Yes, but.” Hashirama worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “Wouldn’t leaving him alone now hurt him more? He isn’t well.”

“Obito is not confined. If he wishes to leave, he may, and I think it best to keep our distance until he does.”

Hashirama made a noise and Tobirama talked over him. “No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“I do, and it’s a no.”

“But Tobi – “

“No, Hashirama.”

“Since when do you get the final say?”

“When I discovered Obito is suffering from much more than panic attacks. Now sit, your movement is distracting.”

Hashirama looked ready to argue. Tobirama almost wished he would. It would give him an excuse to release this tension inside him that had nowhere to go. Hashirama made a face, pulled whatever he was going to say back inside, and plopped down on the chair opposite. The barrier around Obito’s room remained intact, but Tobirama kept an eye on it anyway. Small twitched in Obito’s chakra let him know he was still alive, a good sign, though the lack of movement was concerning.

PTSD Tobirama knew how to deal with. Had seen enough of it growing up to recognize the signs and give assistance where it was needed. Obito certainly had PTSD, but it was so different from what Tobirama knew, he wasn’t sure any of the treatments he knew would work. Most shinobi, himself included, pushed the feelings down to join the sea of neglected emotions. Others, like Hashirama, covered them up with cheer or humour or rage. Rarely did one find a well-adjusted shinobi who was completely sane. One could argue that no shinobi was fully sane, but that was another matter.

Obito coped in his own way, Tobirama couldn’t see ‘Tobi’ as anything else, but if the last few days were any indication, ‘Tobi’ wasn’t a viable option anymore. Whatever had happened to Obito in the past, it was all rushing in and he was no better prepared to handle it than Obito was. Worse probably since Tobirama didn’t even know what the trauma was apart from a healthy dislike for a certain Uchiha. Not that he blamed Obito for that.

Tobirama didn’t realize Hashirama had gone silent until he blinked out of his thoughts some time later to see his brother making an uncharacteristically solemn face.

“Do you think Izuna would mind if I sent him a message?” Hashirama said, sensing Tobirama’s attention.

“Why? Don’t give me that look, I know why. I want to know _why._ ”

It had been many years since Tobirama had seen that heavy a frown on Hashirama’s features.

“He didn’t seem to understand Madara’s actions either when we met. There was an air of ‘what are you doing?’ or ‘not again’ from him and I wonder if this isn’t the first time Madara has done something like this.”

“Torture?”

“No, but yes?” Hashirama flailed a little trying to motion what he meant. “No matter how much anger Madara has he’s never been like this. He’s never taken so little consideration for someone else’s person before.”

Tobirama grunted. He’d have to take Hashirama’s word on it.

“And you think Izuna knows what’s going on?”

Hashirama nodded. “Maybe not much, but something has to have happened before this. You don’t carry that much suspicion for family unless something happened. Madara must have done something really bad to get Izuna like that. Madara used to say nothing but missions could get his brother so riled.”

At the mention, something in the back of Tobirama’s mind flickered. Mission? Hadn’t there been rumours about that? Hashirama was still for once, watching his face closely. There had been something, even before that. Tobirama kept up with most of the whispers in the Land of Fire, especially if it included the Uchiha. There definitely had been something.

Vanishing, Tobirama appeared in his lab, eyes already scanning the bookcases to find the one volume he needed. There, dark brown cover, non-descript, no title or embellishment to give it away. He flipped to the last entry. It was about Obito, though he hadn’t known that at the time. Thumbing back several weeks found him the one he was looking for. Talk that the Uchiha were losing clientele over a poorly executed mission and the client’s persistence to slander their name. Tobirama had been rather gleeful at that at the time.

He flipped back farther. Two entries later gave him the one he wanted. Whispers of an interrupted battle. Hushed words in dark corners of an Uchiha that’d appeared from nowhere. An Uchiha that looked suspiciously like the Uchiha clan head. Tobirama hadn’t put much stock in the rumour then. No way had Uchiha Madara done something to disgrace his clan. He had far too much pride. Now though, Tobirama wasn’t so sure.

Hashirama’s chakra signaled he wanted to know what Tobirama found. Tucking the book under his arm, Tobirama appeared back in the room where his brother still waited.

“Well?”

Instead of answering, Tobirama handed the book over.

Hashirama immediately found the place Tobirama marked, eyes skimming the page. “Madara?”

“Don’t see how it could be anyone else.”

Hashirama was chewing his lip again. He looked up at Tobirama expectantly. “So?”

“So, I don’t think it would be out of place to send a letter to Izuna. Even if we're enemies. Obito is an Uchiha, as much as he doesn’t claim the clan. Madara needs to be kept as far from him as possible, but Izuna seems to be in the dark as much as we are and may be able to help in ways we can’t.”

“You’re willing to trust the Uchiha for an Uchiha?” Hashirama’s smile was playful.

Frowning, Tobirama crossed his arms. “Obito can’t be full Uchiha, with the white hair. Not to mention that he has Mokuton.” Hashirama blinked at him startled. Tobirama sighed. “You said yourself that you’ve never seen Mokuton do that which means it wasn’t you controlling it. It also was trying to protect Obito, leading to a conclusion that it was Obito. Unconsciously it would seem, but he has it none the less.”

“Oh,” Hashirama said distractedly. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. When do you plan to send the letter?”

“This isn’t more of a concern? Someone other than me had Mokuton!”

“Not saying it isn’t, but now is not the time to concern ourselves too heavily with it. Obito isn’t able to answer our questions and there’s no point in speculation without answers.”

Hashirama’s lips quivered and Tobirama took a step back, fearing he’d get hugged otherwise. “Obito’s teaching you empathy. I didn’t know you capable of it.”

Tobirama huffed irritably, both annoyed and slightly embarrassed. Hashirama knew him. Knew that feeling empathy was the least of his concerns, it was expression where he struggled.

“Check with me before sending the message. Don’t want you making the situation worse.”

“I would never!”

“Not intentionally. Your way with words is questionable at best.”

“I am great with words.”

“Spoken yes.”

Hashirama made to protest but Tobirama was already walking from the room. The barrier had shifted. Obito hadn’t left the room yet but he was up and moving. Tobirama was suddenly eager to make sure nothing had happened to the Uchiha that was throwing everything into chaos.

There was still an uncomfortable amount of vagueness to Obito’s eyes when Tobirama entered but at least he was coherent enough to look at him. There was a heaviness to the room Tobirama couldn’t attribute to anything but the sullen man before him. They studied each other for several moments, both looking for something unknown in the other. Obito broke eye contact first, an action that seemed to pain him.

No words were exchanged, no sentiment of gladness for Obito’s awakening. Tobirama got the feeling Obito wouldn’t appreciate it. Whatever silence sat between them worked fine for both. Something like relief spread through Tobirama’s chest and he walked into the room with a feeling that, from anyone else, would be classified as affection. Obito sensed that and looked at him with a confused frown. Tobirama sort of shrugged at him, a first, but there was no other way to explain the swirling in his chest. Hashirama might, but Tobirama had never been good at spoken word. Always took too long to think things through.

For a span of ten minutes nothing happened. Obito shifted his gaze between the floor and Tobirama while Tobirama burned a hole through Obito’s left shoulder.

“You are free to leave when you want,” Tobirama said.

Obito jumped. “Yes, I know.”

“Good.”

Silence settled over them again, slightly less tense than before. Although it was another ten minutes and Hashirama before anything else was spoken.

“Ototo, enough staring. I’m glad to see you awake.” Of course, Hashirama would be the one to say it.

Obito hummed. From the long breath Hashirama took, he was preparing to talk long again.

“When you’re ready, then,” Tobirama said shoving Hashirama sharply out the door. All the air he’d gathered whooshed out. Now that they both knew Obito was okay, it was time to face other things. Like what to do with a half-Uchiha that had Mokuton and had a history worse than most elders. Despite Hashirama’s cheerful, everything’s going to be fine, Tobirama wasn’t so sure. Nothing else had been, he’d didn’t see why this was going to be any different.


End file.
